Railkoad gate



R. "'0'. mum-Ass. RAILROAD GATE.

- (No Model.)

v Patented July" 25, 189 -3.

No. 501,926. v

' fz ven vr/ fiaaer UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT C. DOUGLASS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO A. B. MOCHESNEY, OF SAME PLACE.

RAl LROAD-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,926, dated July 25, 1893.

Application filed April 20, 1891. Serial No. 389,645. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT C. DOUGLASS, a citizen of the Kingdom of Great Britain, residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to improve and simplify in various particulars the construction of railroad gates heretofore used, and the invention consists in the features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical cross section of a gate post embodying my improve ments; Figs. 2 and 3 detail views on an enlarged scale of portions of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a cross section illustrating a modification.

It should be understood that the post shown in Fig. l is but one of a pair, there being a similar post on the opposite side of the road way, the devices in the two posts being connected together as hereinafter described. This post A is made preferably in the form shown, and of suitable size and dimensions to contain the respective parts. The gate arm B, which is'preferably bifurcated,is constructed in the usual manner, and mounted upon a shaft C j ournaled in the post A. Friction rolls D are provided and held in a case d, which is attached to the sides of the post at each end of the shaft, the rolls being intended to facilitate the movement of the gate arm.

Rigidly mounted upon the shaft 0, and secured thereto, is a sector E, preferably of the form shown in the drawings, wherein it is provided with a head or bumper e adapted to strike as the sector moves in one direction or the other against coiled springs F supported in sockets attached to or made integral with tion of the gate and lessening its cost. The air or other fluid used to operate the gate is admitted to the cylinder by means of pipes HH' connected as shown, with their respective ends of the cylinder by means of flexible tubes. These pipes are also connected with a valve chamber H", which in turn is connected by a pipe with the auxiliary cylinder I. This cylinder has a piston rod 2', engaging with the look, as hereinafter described. WVhen it is desired to rock the gate-arm in one direction, air is admitted through the pipe H into the bottom of the cylinder G, raising the piston therein and rocking the sector toward the left. The air at the same time raises the valve h, and passing into the cylinder I, raises the piston therein to operate the look. When the air-pressure is shut off, the valve I falls, allowing the air to escape from the cylinder I with great rapidity, so that the piston in this cylinder immediately falls to allow the lock to act. When the gate is to be moved in the other direction the air is admitted to the pipe H, enters the upper end of the cylinder, and raising the valve h, passes into the cylinder I to raise the piston therein and unlock the sector. When the air is passing into the cylinder I, the valve I will be closed, but when the air supply is shut 0E this valve will open to allow the air that is in the cylinder I to escape.

The lock consists of a bell crank lever J, shown more particularly in Fig. 3, pivoted to the side of the case in such a position that one of its arms shall rest in a position to be engaged by the piston rod 1' as it moves upward. The other arm of the lever is provided with a lug j, adapted to engage with notches or recesses K formed upon the face of the sector, whereby the sector and the gate arm, which, as above stated, are rigidly connected, may be locked in any desired position. When the air is admitted to the cylinder, for the purpose of operating the gate, it will at the same time be admitted as already described to the cylinder I, and raise the piston '5, which will engage with the locking lever, rock the same upon its pivot, and disengage the lugj from the notch with which it is engaged. When the piston rod v1 falls again, the weight of the lever will rock it until the lug j bears against the edge of the sector; and when the sector is revolved, to an extent sufficient to bring one of its notches opposite the lug 9', this lug will fall therein and lock the gate.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a modified meansof suspending the cylinder. In this form, the cylinder is supported by means of trunnions or set screws in a ring L, in such manner as to be able to rock therein; and this ring is in like manner supported by'means of trunnions 1n a case or frame L, which is attached to or placed inside of the post. From this construction it will be obvious that the cylinder can rock in one direction inside the ring L, and that this ring together with the cylinder, can rock at right angles to'the first direction, thereby permitting the same form of direct connection as'is permitted when the cylinder is supported by a ball and socket joint.

The sector E is connected, as shown, by means of ropes or cables M with a similar sector in another post upon the opposite side of the road way, so that the sectors, and consequently the gate arms connected therewith, will operate simultaneously. These ropes pass over a double pulley or sheave M, which is journaled in a case N, preferably of the form shown in the drawings; this case being preferably made separate from the post, inserted therein, and fastened in place in any suitable manner. After passing over this double pulley, these cables run through tubes N beneath the road way, in the ordinary manner.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the gate arm is supposed to be down, barring the road way. When it is desired to raise this arm, air, steam, or other fluid is admitted through the pipe H to the lower end of the cylinder, and forcing up the piston and rod will rock the sector toward the left, the lock J having been previously disarranged, as already described. The sector will rock toward the left until the notch K, shown near the bottom of the sector in Fig. 1 comes opposite the lugj, when this lug will engage with the sector, and hold ituntil it is desired to hold the gate.

1 have shown two means of supporting the cylinder, as being forms adapted to myinvention, but do not intend to limit myself to either of such forms, since any other means of supporting the cylinder, which will allow it to move so freelyin all directions as to allow its piston rod to be connected directly to the sector, will fall within this part of my invention. Similarly I do not intend to limit myself to other details or forms of construction, since I contemplate using equivalents,wherever the same may be advantageous.

I am aware of the patent to Lidback, No. 349,597, issued September 21, 1886, wherein there is a pivoted cylinder, but my device differs from the one shown in that patentin that it is adapted to move in all directions, whereas the cylinder of the patent referred to can only rock always in the same plane. Now it. frequently happens, owing to the adjustment of the parts, their wearing in use, or defect 1 in the castings, that the sectordoes not rock back and forth constantly in the same plane, but has a little sidewise movement, and if the cylinder were not so supported as to yield in all directions it would be difficult to work the gate. I overcome this defect, and support my cylinder as already described, that it is free to rock, not only back and forth in the same plane, but sidewise, or to move in all directions.

I claim- In a railway gate, the combination of a post, a shaft journaled therein, a sector secured to such shaft and provided with a head or bumper, and spiral springs supported in sockets, whereby as the sector rocks in one direction or the other the head will strike against one or the other of suchsprings, substantially as described.

ROBERT C. DOUGLASS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE S. PAYSON, SAMUEL E. HIBBEN. 

